The present invention is directed to an outsert-forming machine and method.
An outsert is an informational item formed from a sheet of paper which is folded in two perpendicular directions. The sheet of paper has information printed thereon, which is typically information relating to a pharmaceutical product or drug. The outsert may be adhesively attached to the top or side of a pharmaceutical container, such as a bottle of pills. Alternatively, the outsert may be inserted loosely into a cardboard box in which a pharmaceutical container is disposed. After purchase of the pharmaceutical product by a consumer, the outsert may be unfolded so that the consumer may read the information printed thereon.
There are a number of patents which disclose methods of forming outserts and machines that may be used in connection with the formation of outserts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,815 to Michael Vijuk discloses an automatic stacking and folding apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,195 to Michael Vijuk discloses various methods and apparatus for forming outserts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,931 to Robert Vijuk discloses a method and apparatus for forming a folded leaflet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,873 to Michael Vijuk discloses an apparatus for stacking folded sheets on edge. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,458,374, 5,813,700 and 5,909,899 disclose various methods of forming outserts.
A prior art outsert-forming machine sold by the assignee of this patent more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this patent included a first folding unit that formed a first folded article from a sheet of paper having printed information thereon by making a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper, each of the folds being parallel to a first direction, a second folding unit operatively coupled to receive the first folded article that formed a second folded article by making a fold in the first folded article in a direction parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an adhesive applicator that applied adhesive to a portion of the second folded article, and a final folding unit operatively coupled to receive the second folded article that formed an outsert from the second folded article by making a final fold parallel to the second direction, the final fold being made so that the adhesive held the outsert in a substantially closed position so that the outsert had no exposed unfolded exterior edges in a direction parallel to the final fold.
The first and second folding units of the prior art outsert-forming machine were substantially the same as the folding unit shown in FIG. 12 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,931 to Vijuk and included two frame members, a first pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the frame members, a first stop member associated with the first pair of folding rollers that was positioned to cause a leading edge of the sheet of paper to contact the first stop member so that continued feeding of the sheet of paper with the leading edge of the sheet of paper in contact with the first stop member caused an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper to buckle and be passed between the first pair of folding rollers to make a first fold in the sheet of paper, a second pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the frame members, and a second stop member associated with the second pair of folding rollers. The second stop member and the second pair of folding rollers were positioned to cause a leading portion of the sheet of paper to contact the second stop member so that continued feeding of the sheet of paper with the leading portion of the sheet of paper in contact with the second stop member caused an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper to buckle and be passed between the second pair of folding rollers to make a second fold in the sheet of paper parallel to the first fold. The operation of the first and second folding units of the prior art outsert-forming machine was the same as the operation of the folding units 210, 212 shown in FIGS. 10A-11B, respectively, of this patent.
The final folding unit of the prior art outsert-forming machine was substantially the same as the folding unit shown in FIGS. 26-30 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,195 to Vijuk and included a pair of frame members, a first folding roller mounted between the frame members, a second folding roller disposed adjacent the first folding roller, the first and second folding rollers having a nip therebetween, the first and second folding rollers causing the final fold to be made when the second folded article passed between the first and second folding rollers, and a movable member that made contact with a portion of the second folded article to move the portion of the second folded article towards the nip between the first and second folding rollers of the final folding unit. The position of one of the two folding rollers of the final folding unit of the prior art outsert-forming machine was adjustable so that the maximum distance between the outer diameters of the folding rollers was 0.22 inches. The operation of the final folding unit of the prior art outsert-forming machine was the same as the operation of the folding unit 216a shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, respectively, of this patent, except that the maximum distance between the outer diameters of the folding rollers of the final folding unit of the prior art outsert-forming machine was 0.22 inches.
In one aspect, the invention is direction to a method of forming an outsert having product information printed thereon. The method comprises (a) making a first fold in a first direction in a sheet of paper having product information printed thereon with a first folding apparatus by a method comprising (a1) feeding a sheet of paper having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and product information printed thereon into the first folding apparatus until the leading edge of the sheet of paper makes contact with a first stop member of the first folding apparatus, (a2) continuing to feed the sheet of paper through the first folding apparatus with the leading edge of the sheet of paper in contact with the first stop member of the first folding apparatus so that an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper between the leading edge and the trailing edge forms a buckled portion, and (a3) continuing to feed the sheet of paper through the first folding apparatus to cause the buckled portion of the sheet of paper to pass between a first pair of folding rollers of the first folding apparatus to form a first fold in the sheet of paper in the first direction.
The method also comprises (b) making at least one additional fold in the sheet of paper in a direction parallel to the first fold and the first direction with the first folding apparatus to form a first folded article having a leading edge and a trailing edge by a method comprising (b1) continuing to feed the sheet of paper through the first folding apparatus until a leading portion of the sheet of paper coinciding with the first fold makes contact with a second stop member of the first folding apparatus, (b2) continuing to feed the sheet of paper through the first folding apparatus with the leading portion of the sheet of paper in contact with the second stop member of the first folding apparatus so that an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper between the leading portion and the trailing edge of the sheet of paper forms a buckled portion, and (b3) continuing to feed the sheet of paper through the first folding apparatus to cause the buckled portion between the leading portion of the sheet of paper and the trailing edge of the sheet of paper to pass between a second pair of folding rollers of the first folding apparatus to form a second fold in the sheet of paper in the first direction.
The method further comprises (c) making a first fold in the first folded article in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second folding apparatus by a method comprising (c1) feeding the first folded article into the second folding apparatus until the leading edge of the first folded article makes contact with a first stop member of the second folding apparatus, (c2) continuing to feed the first folded article through the second folding apparatus with the leading edge of the first folded article in contact with the first stop member of the second folding apparatus so that an intermediate portion of the first folded article between the leading edge of the first folded article and the trailing edge of the first folded article forms a buckled portion, and (c3) continuing to feed the first folded article through the second folding apparatus to cause the buckled portion of the first folded article to pass between a first pair of folding rollers of the second folding apparatus to form a first fold in the first folded article in the second direction.
The method also comprises (d) making at least one additional fold in the first folded article in the second direction with the second folding apparatus to form a second folded article having a leading edge and a trailing edge by a method comprising (d1) continuing to feed the first folded article through the second folding apparatus until a leading portion of the first folded article coinciding with the first fold in the first folded article makes contact with a second stop member of the second folding apparatus, (d2) continuing to feed the first folded article through the second folding apparatus with the leading portion of the first folded article in contact with the second stop member of the second folding apparatus so that an intermediate portion of the first folded article between the leading portion of the first folded article and the trailing edge of the first folded article forms a buckled portion, and (d3) continuing to feed the first folded article through the second folding apparatus to cause the buckled portion between the leading portion of the first folded article and the trailing edge of the first folded article to pass between a second pair of folding rollers of the second folding apparatus to form a second fold in the first folded article in the second direction.
The method also comprises (e) depositing an adhesive on a portion of the second folded article and (f) folding the second folded article by making a final fold in the second folded article to form an outsert, the final fold being parallel to the second direction and being made so that the adhesive holds the outsert in a substantially closed position so that the outsert has no exposed unfolded exterior edges that lie in a direction parallel to the final fold, the final fold being made with a third folding apparatus by a method comprising (f1) feeding the second folded article into the third folding apparatus until the leading edge of the second folded article makes contact with a stop member of the third folding apparatus, (f2) causing a movable member of the third folding apparatus to make contact with and move an intermediate portion of the second folded article towards a pair of adjustably-spaced folding rollers that are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is within a range defined by a lower boundary of 0.25 inches and an upper boundary of 0.35 inches, and (f3) continuing to feed the second folded article through the third folding apparatus so that the intermediate portion of the second folded article passes between the pair of folding rollers of the third folding apparatus to form the final fold in the second folded article.
The method may additionally comprise automatically conveying the first folded article from the first folding apparatus to the second folding apparatus, the method may comprise feeding the first folded article between a first folding roller and a second folding roller of the second folding apparatus and feeding the first folded article between the second folding roller and a third folding roller of the second folding apparatus, and the method may additionally comprise adjusting the position of one of the folding rollers of the third folding apparatus so that the distance between the outer diameters of the folding rollers of the third folding apparatus is greater than 0.35 inches.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to an outsert-forming apparatus that forms outserts having printed product information thereon. The apparatus comprises a first folding unit that forms a first folded article from a sheet of paper having printed information thereon by making a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper, each of the folds being parallel to a first direction, a second folding unit operatively coupled to receive the first folded article, the second folding unit forming a second folded article by making a fold in the first folded article in a direction parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an adhesive applicator that applies adhesive to a portion of the second folded article, and a final folding unit operatively coupled to receive the second folded article. The final folding unit forms an outsert from the second folded article by making a final fold parallel to the second direction, the final fold being made so that the adhesive holds the outsert in a substantially closed position so that the outsert has no exposed unfolded exterior edges that lie in a direction parallel to the final fold.
The first folding unit comprises a first frame member, a second frame member spaced from the first frame member, a first pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the first and second frame members, and a first stop member associated with the first pair of folding rollers. The first stop member and the first pair of folding rollers are positioned to cause a leading edge of the sheet of paper to contact the first stop member so that continued feeding of the sheet of paper with the leading edge of the sheet of paper in contact with the first stop member causes an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper to buckle and be passed between the first pair of folding rollers to make a first fold in the sheet of paper. The first folding unit also comprises a second pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the first and second frame members, and a second stop member associated with the second pair of folding rollers. The second stop member and the second pair of folding rollers are positioned to cause a leading portion of the sheet of paper to contact the second stop member so that continued feeding of the sheet of paper with the leading portion of the sheet of paper in contact with the second stop member causes an intermediate portion of the sheet of paper to buckle and be passed between the second pair of folding rollers to make a second fold in the sheet of paper parallel to the first fold.
The second folding unit comprises a first frame member, a second frame member spaced from the first frame member of the second folding unit, a first pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the first and second frame members of the second folding unit, and a first stop member associated with the first pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit. The first stop member of the second folding unit and the first pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit are positioned to cause a leading edge of the first folded article to contact the first stop member of the second folding unit so that continued feeding of the first folded article with the leading edge of the first folded article in contact with the first stop member of the second folding unit causes an intermediate portion of the first folded article to buckle and be passed between the first pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit to make a first fold in the first folded article in the second direction.
The second folding unit also comprises a second pair of folding rollers rotatably mounted between the first and second frame members of the second folding unit and a second stop member associated with the second pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit. The second stop member of the second folding unit and the second pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit are positioned to cause a leading portion of the first folded article to contact the second stop member of the second folding unit so that continued feeding of the first folded article with the leading portion of the first folded article in contact with the second stop member of the second folding unit causes an intermediate portion of the first folded article to buckle and be passed between the second pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit to make a second fold in the first folded article parallel to the second direction.
The final folding unit comprises a first frame member, a second frame member spaced from the first frame member, a first folding roller mounted between the first and second frame members, and a second folding roller disposed adjacent the first folding roller. The first and second folding rollers have a nip therebetween, and the first and second folding rollers cause the final fold to be made when the second folded article passes between the first and second folding rollers. Each of the first and second folding rollers has an outer diameter, and at least one of the first and second folding rollers has a position that is adjustable to allow a distance between the outer diameter of the first folding roller and the outer diameter of the second folding roller to be adjusted to be within a range defined by a lower boundary of 0.25 inches and an upper boundary of 0.45 inches. The final folding unit also comprises a movable member that makes contact with a portion of the second folded article to move the portion of the second folded article towards the nip between the first and second folding rollers.
Only one of the first and second folding rollers of the final folding unit may have a position that is adjustable, the first pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit may comprise a first folding roller and a second folding roller, and the second pair of folding rollers of the second folding unit may comprise the second folding roller and a third folding roller. At least one of the first and second folding rollers of the final folding unit may be adjustable to provide a distance between the outer diameters of the folding rollers of the final folding unit to be greater than 0.45 inches.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.